Vignette Eleven - Wishes and The Necessary Vessel
by jellybean49
Summary: Elizabeth's frivolous wishes may come true; but in the most unexpected ways.
1. Chapter 1

**Dear Readers, I hope you have enjoyed my previous Vignettes written under the name jellybean49. Each of them has a different unique theme. In Vignette 10, "Snowfall", Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy on a cold snowy December evening in the town of Bear Creek.**

 **I got the idea for this newest vignette from a reader who wrote that "Wishes" was one of her favorite words. Thank you for the inspiration.**

 **Vignette 11 – Wishes and the Necessary Vessel**

Chapter 1 - Sleep

The winter sun wouldn't be up for at least another hour but the baby in the mercantile house didn't care. He kicked out his legs and alternated between sucking on his fist and making cooing sounds as his father looked adoringly at him.

At four weeks old, the infant had no idea that most families did not live in a mercantile turned into a home, or that it was unusual to have a Mountie for a father.

He didn't know that his mother had given up a high society lifestyle of fancy galas and a mansion staffed with servants to marry his father and live in a small town.

The infant had no idea that one of the soft blankets which covered him was made of the finest cotton and had been sent by his grandparents who had purchased it at one of the most exclusive stores in Canada. Or that the second blanket in his bassinet was hand crocheted by his other grandmother.

The infant only knew that he liked the feeling he got when the man who was now looking down at him was around. He liked the man and the way he cuddled him.

And he liked the woman too. The usual gentle sound of her voice and the warmth of her breast when she fed him.

"I wish I could sleep all morning", Elizabeth grumbled as she pulled a pillow over her head.

"I wish you could too but I've got to get to work and someone has to watch the baby", Jack replied as he finished buttoning up his shirt and then reached into the bassinet and picked up his son.

"Why doesn't he ever sleep?" moaned Elizabeth.

"I thought he slept through the night", Jack said in surprise.

" _You_ slept through the night. _He_ was up at 10:30 at night and then again at 1:30 in the morning and again at 4:00."

Elizabeth had expected that the first months of being a new mother would be tiring. But she had never thought it would be this bad. Three hours. That was the longest the baby had slept at one time. That was the longest Elizabeth had slept at one time.

Sitting up in bed, she reached out her arms and took the baby from Jack.

"Come here, Pumpkin", she said wearily as she brought the infant to her chest. "Mama loves you. Mama can barely keep her eyes open, but she loves you."

* * *

The four weeks of motherhood had flown by. The awkwardness and nervousness of the first few days had been replaced with comfortable ease after the routine of feedings, changing diapers, and baths had had become more frequent.

The town, so thrilled with Elizabeth as a teacher, hadn't objected to the new school schedule.

After the new year began, Elizabeth had been granted her request for a two week extension of winter break. And after that, she had started a shortened day. Classroom instruction for just three hours in the mornings and independent assignments in the afternoons.

It meant that she had many more papers to read and grade. But she preferred that to leaving the baby for longer times with a sitter or keeping him for more hours at school, where she found herself continually looking at him in the cradle by her desk.

During the afternoons, when she was waiting for Jack to come home for dinner, she would snuggle with the baby sleeping on her chest and read her students' papers until she too fell asleep.

The temperature was too cold for the baby to spend much time outside, but the weather didn't prevent Jack from having to do his rounds. Elizabeth missed him now more than ever when he was gone. Never before had it been so clear that a part of the family was missing when Jack wasn't home.

The helpless little baby boy who couldn't sleep through the night had done something much more important. He had made the Thorntons into a family.

* * *

What'd your father say?" Jack asked that evening as he walked around the front room, gently rubbing the baby's back as the boy's head rested on Jack's strong shoulder.

Elizabeth set down the letter she had been reading and glanced up.

"They want us to come visit as soon as the weather is better. And the family lawyer needs to know our son's name so he can start the trust fund and add him to father's will."

"Doc Hudson asked me again today. He says he needs to register the birth certificate. It's already been four weeks."

"I still can't decide", Elizabeth lamented.

"Well, you better hurry up because I am not putting "Pumpkin Thornton" on the birth certificate."

"But he is my little pumpkin!" Elizabeth replied as she looked at the tiny baby, her eyes full of adoration.

"Elizabeth, have you actually ever seen a pumpkin? Because thankfully our son is not a round orange vegetable without arms and legs."

"I know. I know. But I can't decide.", Elizabeth said with a sigh. "That's the problem with being a school teacher. Every time you say a possible name, it reminds me of a student. Then I think of something I didn't like about that boy. I've had a lot of truly dreadful boys in my classes."

"Well, Thatch wants an official name."

"I am not naming our baby Thatcher. People will think he thatches roofs for a living. It's not even a real first name", Elizabeth said dismissively.

"It's the perfect name," Jack countered as he turned his head to the side and gave the now sleeping baby a gentle kiss. "He reminds me of you every time I see him. Stubborn and loves me. Besides, he likes it when I call him Thatch. I can tell."

"I like Jack."

"It's too confusing. Having two Jacks in the house."

"We can call him Jack, Jr. or J.J. or Baby Jack, or even Little Jack", Elizabeth offered helpfully.

"Except that's what Sabrina calls Jacklyn", she said as she thought of their close friends the LaPointes and their adorable daughter that they had named after Jack when he both saved Sabrina's life and delivered Jacklyn in the same day.

"Although _this_ is the real little Jack", she added with a smile as she stood up from the couch and walked over to her husband and son. She softly ran her fingers over the baby's fine dark brown hair.

Jack was hesitant to name the boy after himself. Not only because it might be confusing to have two Jacks in the house, but because it felt a little vain to him. And he was worried that it would perhaps put too much pressure on the boy to live up to his father or be compared to him.

Although, secretly Jack had to admit that it would make him feel both honored and humbled to have his son carry his name.

"I'll be gone for four days. Can you try to come up with some more choices when I'm gone?"

"I'll try. But no guarantees", Elizabeth said as she smiled at her son and lightly wiggled one of his little feet.

* * *

Elizabeth and Jack had spent weeks trying out possible names.

Stephen. Walter. Frederick. Ethan. Jacob. Silas. Adam. Douglas. Peter. Brian. Patrick. Scott. Francis. Marcus. Anthony. Daniel. Sebastian. Arthur. Carleton. Robert. Christopher. David. Gregory. Henry. Louis. Oscar. Sean. Victor. Howard. Barney. Stuart. Timothy. George.

Nothing seemed right.

Elizabeth had offered Charles or Charlie as a suggestion, thinking that it would be a nice way to honor Jack's mother Charlotte. After all, Charles was the masculine form of the name Charlotte. It wasn't until Jack had given her a strange look at her suggestion, that she realized that it was entirely inappropriate given her past friendship with a man by the same name, even though she had pretty much entirely forgotten about him.

Even Thomas, Jack's father's name, didn't seem right because it was also Jack's brother's name _._

 _"_ I don't want to think of your little brother Tom every time I look at _my son"_ , Elizabeth had explained to Jack.

When she had explained it that way, Jack had readily agreed that it wasn't the right choice.

And Jack cringed at naming the baby William after Elizabeth's father.

Unable to agree on the perfect name, the couple fell into a habit of doing what came natural to them. Jack called the baby 'Thatch' or 'my boy', and Elizabeth called him 'pumpkin'.

For four weeks, the little Thornton baby was adored, cuddled, fed whenever he was hungry, snuggled in bed, bathed in kisses, swaddled, rocked in loving arms, sung to, and worshiped.

He just didn't have a real name.

* * *

Despite Elizabeth's promise to Jack that she would try to come up with some more name choices while he was gone, she was too busy with the baby, laundry, and school work to even think about any.

When Jack arrived back in town three days later, a day earlier than expected, his eyes lit up when he walked in the front door and saw his family.

Elizabeth pushed the pile of freshly laundered cloth diapers from her lap, picked up the baby from the couch beside her, and greeted Jack warmly.

Jack gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking the baby from her arms and giving the small boy all his attention.

"Go get freshened up. I'll make you something to eat", Elizabeth said as she headed to the kitchen.

Elizabeth smiled as Jack maneuvered off his jacket, shrugging a shoulder out of the sleeve, while he held securely to the baby with the other arm. Even his three-day stubble of beard growth and his slightly disheveled hair couldn't distract from his good looks.

As she carried some potatoes from the pantry and thought about making a quick meal of chopped potatoes, onions, and eggs, Elizabeth noticed how Jack set the baby down on the floor and sat down beside him to pull off his long Mountie-issued boots. Cooing and smiling at the baby the whole time.

 _It's so good to have him home_ , Elizabeth thought as she appreciated how gentle Jack was with the baby despite his strong arms and ruggedness.

As Elizabeth looked at her handsome husband, the desire in her was so great that she could barely think straight.

She was almost giddy just thinking about it.

 _I never thought I'd want something so desperately._

Elizabeth wanted one thing and one thing only.

Sleep.

She wanted hours of uninterrupted sleep without a baby tugging at her breast. Or whimpering to be held. Or fussing because he needed to be changed. Or cooing just because he was awake and happy.

And now that Jack was here, she could have it.

 _Not a whole night. But maybe four or five hours in a row!_

Elizabeth loved being a mother. But even a mother needs sleep.

 _I'll feed them both quickly, kiss them goodnight, and crawl into bed._

 _Bed!_

* * *

The first thing Elizabeth noticed the next morning was the warm sun on her face. _Oh, I feel wonderful. Who knew hours of continuous sleep could be so delicious._ She realized that she had probably slept at least five hours straight.

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and stretched, raising her arms from out under the thick feather bed covering. She looked over at the bassinet next to the bed.

 _Thank you, Jack, for taking the baby_ , she thought with a smile as she snuggled against her pillow. _I didn't even hear the two of them get up this morning. And it's a Saturday! No school!_

Sitting up and noticing the serene quietness of the house, Elizabeth reached into her nightstand drawer and took out her journal. Flipping through the pages, she realized she hadn't written anything in three weeks. Between feedings, diaper changes, and preparing school lessons, she simply hadn't had the time _._

 _Time to rectify that,_ she thought as she turned to the next blank page _._

 _Or maybe not_ , she thought as her body let her know that the baby was overdue for a feeding.

"Jack?"

"Jack, I need to feed the baby", she said louder this time.

When she was met with silence, Elizabeth crawled out of bed and slipped into her flannel robe.

"Jack?" she called out to the empty home as she looked in the front room and then walked into the kitchen.

Elizabeth took down a mug and some tea from the cupboard, filled the kettle with water, and placed it on the stove as she thought about Jack.

 _He's so adorable. He's either at the livery teaching the baby about horses, although I can't believe he expects him to understand a word of it. Or they're at the jailhouse again. Learning about Mountie work. Gosh, I hope my baby's first word isn't arrest, or wanted, or culprit, instead of mama!_

 _He better not be with Michael again. Walking around town seeing whose baby gets the most oohs and aahhs in some sort of manly competition!_

Elizabeth had been slightly upset last weekend when she found out that the baby had missed his nap and been cranky because Jack and his friend, Michael, were parading their babies though town while keeping a tally of which little boy got the most compliments. The only thing that had mollified Elizabeth was when Jack told her that their son had won. _Well of course he won. With those blue eyes and dark brown hair. Of course, he won!,_ she had told Jack with a smile as she had taken her son from his arms and unwrapped him from his thick blankets and hat.

Now as she crawled back into bed with her cup of tea, Elizabeth looked at the clock.

 _If he just keeps the baby another 30 minutes, I can write in my journal, drink my tea, and even maybe read a bit_ , she thought happily.

* * *

The jingling of the bell over the front door, a remnant from the building's days as the town mercantile, caused Elizabeth to smile and set down her book.

"Is that you, Jack?"

"Yeah, It's me. Morning, sweetie. The Websters send their best. I was over at their homestead. Sorry I was gone so long," Jack yelled out as he took off his jacket and hung it on the hook by the front door.

"I'll be right back to you. Let me just put some stuff in the pantry. Mrs. Webster gave us some canned sauces and preserves," Jack called as he headed to the kitchen.

"Ooh, sounds yummy. Can you put some jam on a piece of bread for me?" Elizabeth called out towards the kitchen as she remained snuggled in bed.

"And some juice?" she asked happily as Jack walked into the bedroom a few minutes later with a plate of bread and jam.

Jack smiled. "Sure thing", he said as he handed her the plate and then turned around and went back to the kitchen.

* * *

"Where's the baby?" Elizabeth asked a minute later as she swallowed a bite of bread and took the glass of juice from Jack.

Jack laughed. "What do you mean, 'Where's the baby?"

"The baby, Jack. Where's the baby?" Elizabeth asked again with a chuckle.

With a perplexed look on his face, Jack stared at her.

"Seriously, Jack. Where's the baby? I really need to feed him", Elizabeth said as she set the glass of juice on the nightstand and unbuttoned the top of her nightdress. "I'm so full it hurts."

When Elizabeth looked up at him expectantly, Jack furrowed his brow in confusion and returned her gaze.

"Jack? The baby", Elizabeth said more insistently.

 _For goodness sakes I'm not speaking a foreign language. What is so hard for him to understand?_ she thought humorously with a shake of her head.

Jack swiftly crossed the room and looked into the bassinet.

Seeing that it was empty, he glanced at Elizabeth.

When she just looked at him curiously, Jack hurriedly reached over to the bed and frantically pulled back the feather filled cover and the sheets, revealing an empty mattress except for Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth! Where's the baby?!" he asked in alarm.

* * *

"What the hell did you do with the baby?!" he asked more urgently as Elizabeth now stared at him in surprise.

"You have him!" Elizabeth yelled. "You took him so I could sleep!"

Elizabeth scrambled out of bed when she saw Jack's horrified eyes. "Didn't you?"

"No! I've been gone for three hours. I told you I was leaving! He was in his bassinet when I left!"

"I didn't hear you! I was asleep", Elizabeth replied as she quickly picked up the pillows from the bed and then threw them on the floor when they revealed nothing.

She too now grabbed the sheets and feather cover. Thinking that she must have sleepily brought the boy to bed with her.

Hurriedly she moved the bedding around as if the baby would simply tumble out onto the mattress. When she didn't see any little fingers or toes or his plump little body, she patted out the puffy parts of the thick feather cover and then lifted it up and shook it.

"Maybe I heard you. But it didn't register. When I woke up I thought you took the baby with you!", she yelled as she threw the empty bedding on the floor.

"Why would I take the baby if I were going on rounds?!"

"I didn't know!", Elizabeth wailed. "I didn't pay attention when you were talking to me. I told you I was sleeping!"

"Jack, he can't get out of his bassinet by himself!" she yelled as she watched Jack frantically looking under the bed and in the small closet.

Jack hurried into the front room, but almost immediately came back to Elizabeth, who was now staring in shock at the empty bassinet.

"He's not there!" he said desperately.

"And I didn't lock the front door when I left this morning. I thought you'd be up and about", he admitted.

"You must have heard something! What have you been doing for three hours?" he demanded as he continued to frantically look around.

While Jack checked the bedroom window and found that it was still locked, Elizabeth guiltily explained that she had been asleep most of the morning and then relaxing in bed.

"I don't understand", Elizabeth said in a stunned voice.

She felt dazed. Unable to grasp that the little boy was not with her or Jack.

Elizabeth looked in the bassinet again as if somehow she and Jack had both merely overlooked the boy. She half expected him to be laying there under his blankets looking up at her and waiting to be fed.

But he wasn't.

Elizabeth found herself unable to breath while at the same time she couldn't control her rapid heartbeat.

Finally Jack spoke the words neither of them wanted to think.

"Someone took him. Someone stole our baby."

Jack and Elizabeth stared at each other in shock.

Their baby. The infant without a name was missing.

Someone had taken the Thornton's tiny adorable baby boy.

Elizabeth, so overcome with fear and dread, didn't realize that her and Jack's wish from earlier in the week had come horribly true.

She had slept all morning.

 **Up next: Chapter 2**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Namesake

**Chapter Two – The Namesake**

"Don't be silly, Jack. No one stole our baby," Elizabeth argued even as she was finding it difficult to concentrate. "Why would someone steal him?"

"I don't know. You're a Thatcher. Maybe someone wants money."

"Most people in town don't even know I'm a Thatcher. I came here as a Thornton. No one would steal our baby", she said adamantly, trying to keep the anxiousness out of her voice.

"Then where the hell is he?!"

"Let me think!" she practically screamed in desperation.

Jack placed his hands on the low dresser, his elbows locked as his straightened arms supported him. He leaned his head down, taking a deep breath before looking up again.

He turned around and faced Elizabeth. "Okay. Let's stay calm. Let's just think about this."

"Did you maybe sleep walk? You've been really tired. You said that you didn't get much sleep at all while I was out of town. Could you have taken him somewhere and not remember it?"

"I'm in my nightie." Elizabeth answered in annoyance as his suggestion. "People would have noticed me walking down the street in the snow in my nightie and stopped me,"

"Did you ask someone to come babysit him? Maybe Doreen?"

"No. Why would I do that?! You're here and it's a Saturday. I don't have school. I didn't ask anyone to come babysit him!"

"Well, then someone came and took him", Jack countered.

"I haven't noticed any strangers in town lately," he added as he thought about who may have possibly taken their son.

"You've been _gone_ _for three days_ ", Elizabeth reminded him angrily.

Jack raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth's tone.

"I'm sorry I've been gone", he said steadily as he looked her in the eyes. "But we can talk about that later. Someone took our son. Let's figure out why. And who. And get him back."

"Did you hear anything while you were in bed? Did the bell jingle over the door?

"I don't know", Elizabeth answered distractedly as she walked over to the window and pulled on the top wooden rail, even though Jack had already told her that it was locked.

"Did Rip bark?"

"I don't know."

Did you hear the baby cry?"

"I don't know!" she yelled in frustration.

"Did you hear anything?"

"I don't know!"

"Think, Elizabeth. This is important." Jack's voice was harsher and more professional than he had intended.

"I know it's important!" Elizabeth shouted back. "I'm not an idiot!"

Jack tried to keep his voice even. "I never said you are an idiot. But our baby is missing."

Elizabeth looked around at the empty room.

Her voice was full of guilt and caught in her throat.

"I'm just a terrible mother."

She looked at Jack. Waiting for him to disagree. But he didn't say anything.

Instead she saw the look in his eyes.

A mixture of worry and bewilderment over how she could have lost their precious baby.

* * *

Elizabeth nervously paced the floor. She picked up her son's blankets and held them against her chest, inhaling his sweet baby scent of powder, delicate soap, and dribbled breast milk.

She tried to keep the tears from starting. But Jack noticed them anyway.

"Someone stole our baby", she sobbed when he put his arm around her.

"No sweetie. You were right before. No one would steal him because you're a Thatcher or for any other reason. We know everyone in town. Everyone knows our baby. No one would take him to harm him or to keep him from us. And you wouldn't have walked in your sleep with him. And you're not a terrible mother. You're a wonderful mother. Everything's going to be okay. We just have to figure out what happened ", Jack said encouragingly.

"I'll get our baby home. I promise", Jack said gently as Elizabeth clung to him. "I just need you to think about what could have happened. Just think, sweetie."

Elizabeth buried her head in Jack's chest, her tears soaking his shirt. "I'm sorry, Jack. I don't remember anything."

"You get dressed, sweetie. I'll start going door to door."

* * *

"Maybe someone came and took him to be helpful", Elizabeth suggested as Jack started to move away.

"What are you talking about?" Jack looked at her in puzzlement. "People don't take babies _without asking_ to be _helpful._ "

"Maybe Lucy did! We help each other out!" Elizabeth offered, suddenly feeling hopeful.

"She wouldn't just take him without telling you, would she?" Jack was doubtful, but like Elizabeth, he prayed it was true.

"She would have left a note! Look for a note!" Elizabeth instructed as she broke away from Jack's embrace. She hurriedly looked around the bedroom and then ran throughout the mercantile with Jack following after her.

The couple hastily looked around.

The desk. . . The small table by the front door. . . The long display counter in the front room. . . The table where they ate their meals.

All empty of a note. Nothing.

"The eggs!" Elizabeth cried out as she saw a basket of eggs sitting on the kitchen counter. She had noticed them earlier when she had made her cup of tea but she hadn't thought anything of them at the time. Now she remembered that she had used most of her eggs at dinner last night. And yet, this morning, the basket was full.

Elizabeth ran to the basket, almost tripping over their cat, who meowed loudly as Elizabeth stepped on the animal's tail. But Elizabeth didn't care.

 _Thanks goodness._ Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief as she grabbed the note peeking out from under the basket of eggs.

 ** _Elizabeth,_**

 ** _You were sound asleep and Little Jack was crying. I figure you were exhausted with Jack being out of town. I took the baby back to my place. I'll feed him and keep him 'til you show up. Lucy_**

"Thank goodness!" Elizabeth said aloud with a huge sigh. She relaxed her shoulders, wiped her eyes, and gave Jack a weak smile through the few wayward tears which were still running down her cheeks.

"Everything's good", she said as she allowed herself to finally breath.

Jack grabbed the paper from Elizabeth's hand and stared at it. Desperate to see for himself the writing that said that his son was safe.

"Little Jack?" he questioned.

"That's what she calls him. She says he's like a miniature version of you. Let me just get dressed and we'll go get him. See everything turned out okay."

Elizabeth was remarkably calm now that she knew her baby was safe. It was like she had been in an upside down world which had suddenly righted itself and everything was back to normal. Her baby was safe. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

"Elizabeth!" Jack called out after Elizabeth as she hurried towards the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"What does she mean 'she'll feed him'? Thatch doesn't take a bottle. We've tried. Is he taking a bottle now?"

"Oh, . . . yeah", Elizabeth said evasively. "Not exactly. She finds a way."

"Elizabeth", Jack said sternly. "What do you mean she finds a way?"

"It's nothing really. She just feeds him", Elizabeth said as she grabbed a simple blouse and skirt off of hangers.

"What do you mean 'she just feeds him'?"

"It's not really a big deal. She nurses him."

"She nurses our baby?!"

"Just once before. Well, maybe twice", Elizabeth said as she looked at a shocked Jack. "Okay, three times. This is the fourth time."

"Why in the world does she breastfeed our baby?"

"To help out", Elizabeth answered as if it were obvious.

"Why does she need to _help out_?!"

"It's hard, Jack. Being a mom is exhausting. And you've been gone a lot. One day, she was watching him and I was just running a quick errand to the school house. But I ended talking to some parents and before I knew it I had been gone over an hour. The baby got hungry and started screaming. Lucy can't handle a baby being unhappy, so she fed him for me"

"Didn't that bother you?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"I was shocked at first. But I had to admit it was helpful. And it's not that unusual. There have been wet nurses throughout history. Some women need them. And some women just want them."

Elizabeth continued talking as she hurriedly tucked her blouse into her skirt and then reached into her dresser drawer for a pair of socks.

"Queen Victoria had wet nurses for her children. Did you know that she had _nine_ children and she had a wet nurse each time? Of course that was because she hated the idea of breastfeeding. She found it distasteful. Didn't think refined women should do it. How stupid is that? I love the idea of breastfeeding. Holding him close. . . . I know Queen Victoria was ruler of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Ireland but I think she was an idiot. How could she not want to breastfeed her own babies. I mean really, how –"

"Elizabeth", Jack interrupted.

"Oh . . . I guess I was getting a little off point."

"Just a little. Can we get back to you and stay away from the royal family for a minute. Why did _you_ need help?"

"Okay. Right. Sorry about that. Well, another time, I was busy with school again . . . and it happened again. I was late getting back to the baby. And one time I was simply exhausted and asked her to watch him so I could take a nap. "

"Have you breastfed their baby?" a stunned Jack asked.

"Just once or twice," Elizabeth said dismissively as she laced up her boots.

"Why?!"

"The first time, Lucy had been in a lot of pain because of the C-section. She had stopped taking the morphine but she was having a really bad one day, so she took some more. But then their baby wouldn't take a bottle either and she didn't want to breastfeed him because he'd get the morphine. And I was there. And I had milk. And well, it just made sense."

"And the second time? She had taken morphine again?"

"Um, no. The second time was because of the chicken", Elizabeth said sheepishly.

"The chicken?"

"She was showing me a recipe. That Chicken Kiev that you loved. You said it was delicious!"

When Jack just stared at Elizabeth in confusion, she continued with her explanation.

"She was rolling up the flattened chicken breast. Around the ball of butter and herbs. Showing me how to make it. Her hands were messy and she was making enough for both our families. And then their boy got hungry. It was just easier for me to feed him while she finished making the Chicken Kiev. Our boy doesn't mind sharing. He gets enough.

"And you got a nice dinner out of it", she added matter-of-factly as if that made up for everything.

"Your breasts are not interchangeable with hers! Even for Chicken Kiev!"

"For goodness sakes, Jack. We know that. The babies know the difference. Your son likes mine better and Michael likes hers better. But they accept either one if they're hungry enough."

"Please tell me that when you say Michael, you mean baby Michael and not Lucy's husband", Jack said with a shake of his head.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Yes, I mean baby Michael. But they actually call him 'Maddy' now."

Jack looked puzzled. "What?"

"Maddy. They call him Maddy. Short for their last name Madison. It was too confusing having two Michaels in the house."

"Which reminds me, we have got to come up with a name for our son. We can't keep going back and forth between Thatch and Pumpkin and Baby Thornton, and Little Jack. And we are not naming him Pumpkin."

"Okay. But let's get him back first."

* * *

""Aren't you worried about getting them confused?!", Jack thought aloud in puzzlement as they quickly walked down the street and he considered that the two women breastfeed each other's babies.

Elizabeth giggled. "No. I'm not. Now let's go get our son. Whatever his name is".

* * *

Now that they had retrieved their son and he was back in their home, Jack's heartbeat had finally slowed down to a normal pace.

"You know that boy is my whole life? You and that boy", Jack said as he sat slumped on the couch and watched Elizabeth with their son.

Jack rested his elbows on his knees. His head in his hands as he rubbed his face before looking at them again.

"And I think I just lost ten years off my life when I thought something had happened to him."

"I'm sorry, Jack. But Lucy didn't know you had come back to town. You were a day early. She was just trying to help. I'm not sure she realized how worried we'd be."

"Considering that when we got there we practically tussled with each other to see who got to hold him first and that your eyes were red, and mine were pretty moist, I'd say she's figured it out."

"I'm so sorry, Jack", Elizabeth repeated tenderly when she saw how much the incident had affected him.

Jack ran his hand across his eyes, wiping away the wetness still welling up, as Elizabeth carried the freshly changed baby over to him and placed the small boy in his father's arms.

Jack's kissed his son's tiny fingers as the infant reached his hand to Jack's mouth. "Hello, my sweet little boy", he whispered softly to the baby.

"I really like Thatcher as a name" he announced as he looked at his son. "Surprising as that may seem. I like it. It fits him. It just seems natural when I say it. I guess I have a thing for Thatchers," he said with a smile.

"I really like Jack. It fits him. He's wonderful just like you", Elizabeth countered with her own smile.

"We just have to let the little pumpkin choose." Jack offered with a shrug and a chuckle.

"How?" Elizabeth scoffed. "He's not even five weeks old. The only thing he's capable of choosing is which breast he wants to feed from first."

* * *

 _I am never telling anyone about this_! Elizabeth said with a shake of her head thirty minutes later as she used the wet washcloth to wipe the ink from her right breast and then from her left one.

"Okay. It's official." Jack held up the birth certificate as Elizabeth walked into the front room buttoning up her blouse.

"Jack Thatcher Thornton. I have to admit that I'm kind of proud to have him be named after me. But I still may call him Thatch."

"Perfect." Elizabeth smiled at Jack, who gave her a big grin in return.

"Is this how we're going to name all our babies? Let them choose themselves," he said good-naturedly as he got up from the desk and put his arm around Elizabeth.

"It really is the only fair way. But we are _never_ telling anyone how we let the baby choose!"

"Agreed," Jack laughed.

"But what if our babies always choose the one you want?" he asked with slight concern.

"Jack, there's a fifty-fifty chance that the baby will choose the one you want," Elizabeth said as she picked up the baby from the bassinet and snuggled him.

"I suppose you're right", Jack replied as he leaned over and kissed her. "There is a fifty-fifty chance."

 _We are not telling Daddy that I know that you always go to the right breast first,_ Elizabeth thought with another smile as she gave their son a kiss. _That will be our little secret. But I'll let Daddy win with the next baby. . . Well, maybe I will. Depending on what name he chooses._

* * *

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. That I was so angry and rude to you this morning. I was just scared", Elizabeth said in the moonlight as she rolled onto her side and looked at Jack lying next to her in bed.

"I know. . . . but we do need to talk about me being gone sometimes. When the weather gets better, I can get more done in the daylight and I won't have to be gone so much overnight. But it's part of my job, Elizabeth. Traveling the area. And you know I've also applied for that three week training course. If I get accepted, you'll have to manage without me."

"I know. And I love that you're a Mountie. It will get easier in a few weeks when he sleeps through the night."

Jack climbed out of bed and walked around to the other side. Reaching into the bassinet he picked up the sleeping infant.

Cradling his namesake in his arms, Jack climbed back into his side of the bed. Without needing to be told what to do, Elizabeth began moving the pillows into the center of the bed, forming small barriers.

"How about we let him sleep with us tonight?" Jack said quietly as he laid the baby down in the empty area between the pillows.

* * *

Elizabeth, happy to have her family together, failed to remember her fateful wish that she could sleep all morning. For that reason, it wasn't the last time she carelessly used the term "wish". Perhaps if she had remembered, she would have been more careful with her choice of words in the ensuing weeks.

 **Up next: chapter 3**


	3. Chapter 3 - Rosy Cheeks

**Chapter 3 – Rosy Cheeks**

"Can you take the baby tomorrow morning?" Elizabeth asked as she put the basket of rolls on the table. "One of the Thompson boys has a cough and I don't want the baby in the schoolhouse with any germs."

"Sure. I've got some paperwork I can do," Jack replied as he reached for a roll with one hand, while holding Thatch in his other arm. "I saw Doreen at the mercantile yesterday and thanked her again for loaning us a cradle. It's a good idea keeping the one your folks sent at the schoolhouse and another one at my office."

"Think about it - our little boy is growing up having experience watching a teacher work and a Mountie work", Elizabeth said pleasantly as she carried the small pot of stew to the table and placed it on a trivet.

"You know, Elizabeth, you don't have to work. We would be okay on my salary. We've saved all of yours. If you want to stop for a year . . . or more, we'd be okay."

Elizabeth sat down at the table and put her napkin on her lap before reaching for her fork.

"I like teaching. And having my own school really makes it the perfect job. When he gets older and starts crawling, it might take some creative thinking as to how to handle both him and school. But right now, it's nice being able to take him to the classroom. I like having him with me. I just don't want him around any sick kids this week."

"But it's a lot of work for you. Taking care of 20 students during the day plus your own. And then making meals and doing laundry. Even with me helping, I now understand why you are tired sometimes. Especially when I was gone last week."

"I just have to remember to sleep when he sleeps. And Lucy's been helping out with laundry. She also made last night's dinner by the way."

"Isn't she tired too? Maddy's only a week older than Thatch."

"She doesn't have a job outside of the home. She makes her money from eggs and chickens. So she's home all day to cook and do wash . . Michael doesn't leave town ever. And Maddy sleeps a lot better than your son."

"So we're back to that again? _My_ son? He always seems to be _my_ son when he spits up on you or keeps you awake. But he's _your_ son when he's adorable."

Elizabeth nodded as she took a sip of water. "That's right. When you've spent hours in painful labor, had blood and body fluids pour out of you, and given birth to one of our children, you can decide when you want to take credit for him or her. Until then, it's my choice."

"Point taken", Jack said with a chuckle.

* * *

Jack sat at his desk filling out official reports that weren't due for a week. He glanced down at the empty cradle on the floor next to his desk. His eyes then went to the sleeping infant lying across his lap. _It would be easier if I just put him in the cradle. How the heck am I supposed to get up and refill my coffee or post these fliers on the bulletin board?_

Jack turned his attention to the clock on the wall. Elizabeth would be another hour at school; therefore, Jack had two choices. He could put the baby in the cradle and get about his day. Post the fliers on the bulletin board. Clean his weapon. Shine his boots. Refill his cup of coffee.

Or he could sit quietly at his desk until Elizabeth finished school for the morning and came by to pick up Thatch.

 _He sure is cute. I guess I don't need another cup of coffee. And the fliers can wait. And I can do the other stuff later,_ Jack thought as he ran his fingers through his son's hair and then went back to filling out his reports.

* * *

"I'm getting tired of winter. I wish I had some more color in my cheeks. Look how pale I am." Elizabeth scowled as she looked in the mirror in the early morning light two days later.

"You're fine." Jack replied as he pulled on his boots.

"I'm sorry I have to leave so soon again. I'll ride as far as Sandersville, spend two to three nights in that area, and then head back home, " Jack said as he stood up and kissed her on the cheek.

"We'll be safe and sound while you're gone. I promise to lock up every night."

"By the way, you're not Queen Victoria. You're not even Queen Elizabeth of Bear Creek. So do you think you can keep the interchangeable breasts to a minimum while I'm gone? I feel guilty enough that I'm not around to help out."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I think we'll be just fine. He's now sleeping four and a half hours at a time. Which seems like an eternity after those three hour sleeps. And Lucy's not taking morphine anymore. So she doesn't need my help feeding Maddy. And I promise, I won't have her teach me any new recipes. Oh, that reminds me, I baked some cookies yesterday for my students . I'll give you some for the trip."

As Elizabeth walked past the window, stopping to pet Comet who was sitting on the sill, the sunlight streamed through her hair. Turning the brown into shades of amber.

For some reason, the color reminded Jack of the color of the first flower he had ever given her. On their first night of courting when they had dinner at Abigail's Café.

Jack crossed the room. He cupped his hand behind Elizabeth's neck and gently pulled her face close to his, gazing into her eyes. Elizabeth, momentarily taken surprise by the intensity of his look, felt her breath catch at his closeness. She stared back at him. Not thinking to move. Waiting.

After all their time together. Their disagreements. Their everyday chores. Their laughter. Their love. She still had the ability to make him feel like it was the beginning. When he yearned to touch her lips for the first time.

"I love you," he whispered as he leaned close and met her mouth.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, William Thatcher of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada walked into the prestigious law offices of "Stevenson, Levi, and Martins" in the stately brick building at 172 High Street, and took off his hat and thick winter coat.

"A cup of tea would be wonderful. Thank you", he replied to the receptionist as he was ushered into one of the inner offices.

Settling into the leather chair across the desk from Mr. Daniel Levi, Mr. Thatcher reached into the pocket of his finely tailored suit and pulled out the latest letter which he had received from Bear Creek.

"My grandson has a name", he announced proudly.

"Congratulations." Daniel replied with a pleasant smile. "I must say, they took their time. Now let's get that paperwork finished. He's a lucky little boy."

* * *

Days later, Jack Thatcher Thornton didn't feel lucky. And he didn't care that he had an official name.

Someone could have taken away his birth certificate, his newly established trust fund, and his name from his wealthy grandfather's will, and the young boy wouldn't have missed them.

But he missed the man and woman.

He didn't know that the man that he missed was his father or that he had been named after him. And he didn't know that the scents that he associated with the man were from the horse he rode, or the pine trees the man passed on his rounds, or the clean scent of soap after he had bathed and shaved.

But the baby knew that whenever he smelled one of those scents, he was cuddled and kissed and carried around while his back was rubbed.

And while he couldn't understand the words that the man usually sang to him, the baby knew that the sound soothed him.

The little boy liked the man with the now familiar scents who made him feel safe and warm.

He couldn't tell time or the days of the week but the infant knew that the man hadn't held him in a while. Or cuddled him before he slept. Or rubbed his tiny back after he had been fed. Or ran warm water along his pale soft skin with a washcloth.

He missed the man.

He missed the woman too.

He missed her even more than he missed the man.

He had cried for her but she hadn't come. Instead, the other woman had come. The other woman smelled different. Not bad. Just different. And she tasted different. But she fed him so he stopped crying.

The other woman was slower too. She made him wait. The baby wasn't used to waiting. Usually, he just put his fist in his mouth and made a little sucking noise when he first started to get hungry. The first woman, the one he didn't know was named Elizabeth, would usually be there almost immediately. Picking him and taking care of him.

When the baby's belly was full, the other woman laid him on his blanket. He didn't like that. The woman that was called his mother would have let him fall asleep to the rhythm of her breathing as he lay on her soft warm chest.

Over the past two days and nights, the small infant had whimpered and cried in his bassinet. He had sniffled his nose and hiccuped from the tears. He had kicked his little feet in frustration. But the first woman, the one named Elizabeth, had never come.

For two days and nights, she had never come.

A sad Jack Thatcher Thornton didn't know why, at just six weeks, his mother and father were ignoring him.

All he knew was that he missed them.

* * *

Jack had gotten back to Bear Creek later than expected. After returning his horse to the livery, he headed down the street towards home in the faded light of the setting sun.

He glanced across the street at the jailhouse but decided not to stop in before greeting Elizabeth and Thatch. After being gone for four days, he hurried to the house in anticipation of hugging them both.

He imagined the scene he would find. Elizabeth would be sitting on the couch folding laundry with the baby laying on the cushions; her arm ready to grab the baby if he moved too close to the edge. Or maybe she would be holding their son in one hand while turning the pages of a book with the other. Or cuddling the baby while she walked around the kitchen preparing a meal and humming a tune.

 _I wonder what she's making us for dinner._

* * *

"Jack", Michael said in a startled voice when Jack opened the door and walked in.

The man hurriedly grabbed a blanket and threw it across the chest of his wife, Lucy, who was sitting on the Thornton's couch in the front room.

"Um, hello." Jack replied hesitantly. He noticed that Michael had a baby in one arm, while Lucy had another baby at her breast, now hidden under the thin blanket.

"Is that Thatch?" he asked as he motioned towards the hidden infant.

"Yes. He's almost finished", Lucy said apologetically

"Um, where's Elizabeth?" Jack asked looking around. "Is she busy with schoolwork? Meeting some parents?"

 _My god, this is awkward_ , he thought as he tried to avert his eyes from the blanket which was covering the son he wanted to hold. _I thought Elizabeth wasn't going to do this anymore_.

Michael stood up and looked sympathetically at Jack.

"Elizabeth's sick. Thatch's been staying with us for the past two days. We just came over here because we were expecting you back today and we wanted to be here when you arrived. . . . It's not good, Jack. . . . Elizabeth's real sick."

Jack barely heard the last word as he ran across the wooden floor of the front room and into the bedroom where he stopped with a start when he saw her lying in bed.

Elizabeth, her eyes closed, didn't stir when he entered.

"It's Scarlet Fever", Michael said as he approached from behind and stopped in the doorway.

"She got it from one of her students. It started as a cough and then . . . well . . . then it got worse." His voice trailed off as he finished speaking.

Jack didn't need to hear Michael say the words. As he knelt by the bedside, Jack knew just by looking at the color of her cheeks. Elizabeth's usually pale cheeks, were now flushed with the deep pink of potentially deadly Scarlet Fever.

"Don't get too close. The doctor's been stopping by a couple times a day. And the new nurse has been staying in the evenings. We've been keeping the baby away. So far, he's fine," Michael said quietly.

* * *

"Thanks for helping out", Jack said, carrying his son, as he walked Michael and Lucy, who was carrying her own baby, to the door.

Jack closed the front door behind them and crossed the room. Standing in the doorway of the bedroom, he spoke to a sleeping Elizabeth.

"I'm home, sweetie. And I'll take care of the baby. You just get better. I know you want to hold him. And you will. As soon as you're better. Until then, I need to keep him away."

* * *

Six hours later, Jack was at his wit's end. He paced the floor, gently bouncing the baby, while a feverish Elizabeth slept, oblivious to the whimpering of her son which had now turned into wails of hunger.

Jack had pleaded, cajoled, and begged Thatch to drink from a bottle. But the infant boy, so used to the perfect warmth and feel of female breasts, refused to keep the glass bottle's distasteful rubber nipple in his mouth.

After more than an hour of constant fussing, the baby was red in the face, tired, angry, and still hungry.

Finally, Jack gave in.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, my boy. I know you're hungry", he said as he carried the now bundled up infant down the street. _Please stop screaming. Please_.

A tired looking Michael answered the door on the second knock, saw the red-faced crying baby, and took him from Jack's hands.

"Come on in", he said to Jack before turning and quickly disappearing upstairs with the baby. Whatever Michael said to Lucy was drowned out by the baby's loud wails of hunger and anger at not been fed.

Fifteen seconds later, the house was silent.

Jack looked up in relief as Michael walked down the staircase.

"We'll keep him for the night. He'll be fine. Don't worry. We'll keep him safe for you. You just take care of Elizabeth."

* * *

When Jack got back home, the nurse was there, checking on Elizabeth. As she went to replace the washcloth on Elizabeth's feverish forehead, the middle-aged woman urged Jack to move into the Saloon or a boarding house temporarily, but he refused.

"I'll sleep on the couch", he informed the woman as he pulled some sheets from the closet. "Just let me get my pillow".

"Not from here. It hasn't been washed", the nurse replied as she looked at him standing in the doorway of the bedroom. "You're not to come in here again. I've cleaned the rest of the house with bleach so it's okay for you to stay there. But don't come in here. Your son can't have you getting sick. And I'm too busy to take care of you too."

After the nurse left for the night, Jack sat on the couch and looked around the house.

It felt empty.

Quiet.

Sad.

Lonely.

The Thornton family of three was sleeping apart, and Jack was worried they may never be a family again.

 **Up next: chapter 4**


	4. Chapter 4 -The Average Day of a Father

Chapter 4 – The Average Day of a Father

The nurse practically yelled at him in the morning when a tired Jack, his face unshaven, opened the door.

"I knocked twice", she said rudely as she walked in the front door of the mercantile house carrying her simple nursing kit, pushing past Rip who was standing in her way.

"I'm sorry", Jack apologized as he brushed the hair out of his face and tucked his wrinkled shirt into his even more wrinkled pants.

"I told you to stay out of the bedroom. My guess is that you took so long to answer the door because you were in the bedroom checking on your wife. It probably took you four seconds to realize I was knocking and to get off the edge of the bed where you were sitting. Then another ten seconds to walk across the rooms. That's fourteen seconds. If you had been on the couch, it would have taken you three to five seconds. I don't have time to waste, Sergeant Thornton. Your wife is not my only patient."

When Jack stared at her in surprise, the no nonsense woman continued.

"Go wash your hands. If you kissed her, which I suspect you may have, wash your face", she ordered. "And stay out of the bedroom!"

* * *

Jack, drying his freshly washed hands and face on the bathroom towel, stood in bedroom doorway, and watched as Nurse Marigold tended to Elizabeth.

As the woman with the friendly name and unfriendly personality moved Elizabeth around in the bed so she could change the linens, she kept up a running speech to Jack about the sickness.

" . . . the infection spreads person to person via droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes. . .

. . . The incubation period – the time between exposure and illness – is usually two to four days.

. . . Your child was probably protected by your wife's breast milk and because he hasn't been around her when she was at her worst. She realized pretty quickly that she wasn't feeling well and asked the Madison woman to take him.

. . . her temperature is 101 degrees. That's two degrees less than when I checked last night. I am pleased with those results.

. . . three out of the twenty students were infected. That's fifteen percent. Very acceptable. They are all doing well."

* * *

"Hi sweetie, how you're feeling", Jack called from across the room as the doctor also stopped by to check on Elizabeth an hour later.

Elizabeth, sitting up in bed leaning against the pillows, simply nodded and gave him a weak smile, which barely made her lips turn up.

"She needs to drink a lot. Her throat hurts and she'll have difficulty swallowing so try different things. Cold milk. Warm tea. Just see what works best. I've given her some aspirin and will leave some more here for you to give her later" the doctor said as he put away his stethoscope.

"How bad is it, Doc?" Jack asked as he walked the man out.

"It can lead to rheumatic fever but I don't think we have to worry about that. Her temperature's going down. Just keep her drinking lots of fluids. Hopefully, she'll be feeling much better in a day or two.

* * *

"I can't thank you and Lucy enough for doing this", Jack said to Michael as he sat at the Madisons' kitchen table, drinking coffee.

"It's not a big deal."

"Of course, it is. Your wife has been feeding my son for days."

"Your wife teaches all the children of Bear Creek. You protect all of us in this town. If you and Elizabeth can look out for all of us, Lucy figures that the least she can do is feed your boy for a few days. Besides, Lucy and Elizabeth went through their pregnancies together. You were there when Maddy was born. You guys are our best friends."

"i still really appreciate it."

"Well, you're welcome. Although I hope you know that breast feeding the baby is the _only_ reason I am _ever_ finding it okay to loan you my wife's body. So don't get any ideas."

Jack chuckled. "Same goes for me and Elizabeth's body."

"What do you think of Nurse Marigold?" Michael asked as he refilled Jack's mug and then poured himself some more.

"I've met rabid dogs friendly than her. She makes me afraid to go into my own home. Even Rip now moves out of her way quickly."

Michael chuckled. "Lucy says the woman needs more eggs in her diet. She says it's a proven method to make a person happier. "

"I will personally deliver a basket of eggs to her if it works."

* * *

While Jack found dealing with Nurse Marigold to be difficult, he found watching the baby to be relatively trouble free. In fact, he found it to be down-right easy.

 _I was born to be a father!_

At 9:00 in the morning , after picking up his well-fed son from the Madisons', he headed down Main Street on his way to the town's popular restaurant for his own breakfast.

While sitting at a table waiting to order, two women stopped by to chat and admire the young baby in his arms. By the time his food had arrived, Jack had his hands free to eat as the women happily passed the baby back and forth, stroking his back and making baby talk.

By 10:00, Miss Francis Stouffer, the twenty two year old daughter of the town's blacksmith, was happily changing the infant's diaper.

By 11:30, Miss Julia Branson, the recently jilted fianceé of a farmer, was playing with the infant's toes and telling Jack that his adorable son was the spitting image of the Mountie.

At 3:00, Miss Angelina Gelb, who had just turned 16 and was now allowed to wear lipstick, stopped by the jailhouse to offer her services as a babysitter. After spending ten minutes admiring Jack while he worked at his desk, she finally agreed to his polite suggestion that she might find it more interesting to walk the baby outside rather than stare at Jack.

At 4:45, Miss Nancy Granson, the town spinster, and Mrs. Dora Shreyer, the recent but happy widow of a man who had never treated her properly, practically got in a fistfight on the porch of the jailhouse as they both were eager to admire the baby and offer their assistance.

* * *

"Thank you. This is most generous of you", Jack said as he took a casserole from Miss Maye Pearson, who had stopped by the mercantile home that evening.

Jack looked at the table which was covered with baskets of muffins, plates of fried chicken, boxes of cookies . _Do they think I'm starving?_ he thought in bewilderment as he passed the crowded table and put the casserole dish on the kitchen counter.

"It's just a little something I whipped up. I'm a very good cook. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach", the young woman said as she followed Jack into the kitchen.

"Not that I'm interested in that!", she added hurriedly when Jack gave her a curious stare. "I just meant that I'm a good cook. . . .But I'm sure your wife is a good cook too!"

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my wife now. But I'll tell her that you stopped by to check on her."

"Of course, of course. I do hope she feels better. If you need anything. Anything at all. You just let me know", Maye said as she blushed at his dimples and noticed the blue of his eyes.

* * *

The next day was more of the same. With Lucy keeping Thatch overnight for feedings, Jack was able to get a full eight hours of restful sleep on the couch, which he actually found quite comfortable. An added bonus was that Comet, who was never allowed on the bed by Elizabeth, now took her place on Jack's feet at night, keeping them toasty warm.

 _I honestly don't know why Elizabeth finds this difficult,_ Jack thought as he stopped by the home of Miss Jessica Watkins who was babysitting Thatch, and then headed to the Madisons' home for the infant's feeding. _Being a parent is so easy_. _It's just a matter of organization_.

In two days, Jack hadn't had to change a single diaper or wipe a drop of drool from the baby's pudgy cheeks.

Lucy fed the baby, while the single women in town changed him, walked him, admired him, and cooed at him.

Jack felt very proud as lady after lady extolled the virtues of his son, repeatedly telling Jack how handsome and well behaved an infant he had.

 _I knew it!,_ Jack thought when several women let him know that his six week old son was already showing signs of high intelligence. _I was top of my class and his mom's smart. Of course, he's intelligent._

It seemed that anytime Thatch got the least bit fussy, a female resident of Bear Creek was ready to swoop in and take him off Jack's hands. _This is the friendliest town! I don't know why Elizabeth never realized it before! Maybe she just didn't want the help_.

* * *

"How's Elizabeth today?" Michael asked Jack after he handed little Jack Thatcher to Lucy, who took the baby upstairs to feed.

"Much better. Doc says she's definitely on the mend and shouldn't be contagious by tomorrow."

"So, how is it being a single father the past few days?"

"Remarkably easy", Jack said with a surprised smile. "I have to say I'm doing a really good job. It's actually fun. And the town women have been really generous with their time."

Michael chuckled. "Jack, there is nothing more attractive to a woman than a handsome man in need of help taking care of an adorable baby. Those women see two sets of dimples tugging at their heartstrings. They don't know whether to go weak in the knees over you or your son."

"No", Jack said in surprise . "They're just being helpful."

"Helpful? For a Mountie, you are exceedingly naïve", Michael said with a grin. "With your worried devotion to Elizabeth, your adoring love for your son, heck even the way your cat follows you around. Not to mention your muscles and red serge jacket, the single females in the town have been thrown into a tizzy."

"I'm married! My wife is sick!"

"Yes. That's true. But that doesn't keep the women from dreaming of swooping in to rescue you from your despair. "

Jack paused and thought about the past two days.

"One of the women did offer to keep me a shoulder rub. . . she said I looked tense," he said with a guilty shrug.

"I thought she was just being very motherly to me!" he added in his own defense as Michael raised his eyebrows and then snickered.

"I overheard a woman at the grocery saying that she wouldn't mind having a Thornton male snuggling at her breast. And I'm pretty sure that she wasn't talking about your son", Michael said with a smirk.

"Maybe I should start taking more care of him myself", Jack said with a grimace.

"Probably a good idea. And I don't think you should tell Elizabeth how _helpful_ the single females of town have been while she's been lying ill."

"Yeah, you're probably right", Jack said pensively.

"Does baby spit-up stain clothes if you don't get it out right away?" Jack asked, suddenly doubting that it did.

"No. You can let it sit for a while. Why do you ask?"

Jack paused for a moment before answering with an embarrassed face.

"When the baby spit up on me, one of the women offered to wash my shirt . . . _if_ I took it off _right there_. . . Actually that happened twice. She said I had to take it off immediately or it would stain!"

When Lucy brought Thatch downstairs, Michael was still laughing as Jack sheepishly looked into his cup of coffee.

* * *

After the tragedy of the diphtheria epidemic last year, the school board had quickly decided to cancel classes until the teacher and the students were all cleared of possible germs. Jack, knowing that Elizabeth would be upset over the students missing so much class time, had sent out the word that the students were to each read a book, write a report, and prepare a presentation by the next week.

When Jack told Elizabeth about the assignment, she smiled at him as she sat up in bed.

Jack sat on the side of the bed, holding a warm mug of tea while Elizabeth held a pad of paper and pencil.

" _It hurts to swallow_ ," Jack read from the slip of paper which Elizabeth handed to him.

"I put honey in it. It's supposed to help", he responded.

Jack watched as she quickly began writing on another piece of paper.

" _You're not supposed to be in here_ ", he read when she handed it to him.

Jack chuckled. "I know. And Nurse Marigold will likely try to kill me. But the doc says it's okay as long as I wash my hands and don't kiss you or share any utensils."

Elizabeth started scribbling again.

" _How's Baby Jack_? He's fine. Just as good as when you asked me yesterday, and last night, and this morning. He's been spending a lot of time with me at the office. And the livery. He loves the horses. He'll be a Mountie before we know it. I figure, I'll teach him hand to hand combat next week."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at Jack.

"Okay, maybe not hand to hand combat. He's still doesn't have that whole eye-hand coordination thing down pat yet. And he tends to keep one hand in his mouth at all times. . . . But once he stops sucking on his little fist, we'll work on his right hook."

"But I did put him on his stomach so he could practice his push-ups. Mounties need good upper body strength to rescue all those damsels in distress", he added with a straight face.

Elizabeth choked on her tea as she started to laugh.

* * *

Two days later, Elizabeth held her son for the first time in a week.

"Come here, Pumpkin", she said as snuggled the infant.

"Jack. His name is Jack. Or Thatch. Or Jack Thatcher. Or even J.T. It is _not_ Pumpkin", Jack reminded her with a laugh.

Jack took off his shoes and climbed into bed next to Elizabeth.

"Your milk has probably dried up quite a bit, so he'll probably need to feed every two hours until you build up a good supply. Back to square one, I'm afraid", Jack informed her.

"What?" Jack said with a shrug when Elizabeth stared at him in bewilderment.

"I learned a lot about feeding when you were sick", he replied defensively. "By the way, the women in town have been bringing over food for me. There's enough left in the icebox for you, but I don't want you eating anything spicy or with a lot of flavor, I'm not sure Thatch will like the taste of your milk if you do. So, I'm going to keep your diet simple."

Elizabeth shook her head and snickered at Jack's new found knowledge of breastfeeding. "I'm just glad you managed so well without me. I'm sorry I got sick."

Jack reached his hand out and stroked his son's fine hair. "I've been thinking a lot. While you were sick. Maybe I shouldn't be a Mountie. There's a lot of worrying involved when I'm gone", he said slowly.

"Jack, I'm fine. I know I worry about you with your job being dangerous. But I knew that when I married you. I trust you to be safe. You certainly don't need to stop being a Mountie!"

"I don't mean _you_ worrying about me. I can take care of myself. I mean _me worrying about you and the baby._ '

"For goodness sakes, why would you worry about us?"

Jack looked at her. "You're joking, right?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth asked incredulously,

"Do I even need to explain?" Jack asked just as incredulously as he looked at her.

"Yes, you do!" Elizabeth demanded.

"When I came back home after being away, you were almost dying of Scarlet Fever, and the time before that, we thought our son was stolen!"

"There's no need to be so dramatic", Elizabeth said dismissively.

Jack chuckled. "Okay, no drama. Of course, if you don't like drama, you probably won't like this", he said as he got up from the bed and walked over to the dresser.

Opening a drawer, he pulled out a small wrapped box.

"Happy Valentine's Day", he said as he handed her the present and leaned in for a kiss.

 **Up next: Chapter 5. Preview: "I wish . . .** "


	5. Chapter 5- Duty

Chapter 5 -Duty

"I wish you didn't have to go to this course", Elizabeth said as she set down the letter in her hands and looked up at an excited Jack who had crossed the room and was now at his desk.

"It's a great opportunity! You'll be fine without me. It's just for three weeks. And it's not for another few months. I'll make sure that Michael and Lucy keep an eye on you", Jack remarked as he looked at the calendar.

Weeks ago, when Jack had first mentioned to Elizabeth that he might be selected for advanced training, she had been supportive.

Now that he had actually been selected, she was anything but supportive.

It had been almost three weeks since Elizabeth had recovered from Scarlet Fever and Jack had been home every night after his work at the jailhouse. Helping with laundry. Preparing simple meals with her. Walking the baby and softly patting his back when the small infant was colicky. Talking sweetly with Elizabeth in the quiet darkness as they lay next to each other in bed.

Elizabeth had secretly decided that she never wanted Jack gone away from home again. Not ever. Not one night away from her.

"But Jack, it's for three weeks. The baby will only be a few months old. I'll be working. It's just not the best timing."

Jack picked up the letter from the couch cushion next to Elizabeth and gave her a disappointed look.

"Elizabeth, we talked about this when I applied. You said it was okay. The snow will be gone. The weather will be fine. We're living in town so if you need anything, there are people to help."

"I know. But -"

"This is important to me. I really want to do it. You're just worried about handling Thatch by yourself for three weeks. How about you have Julie come for a month? She'll love it. You two will have a great time together," Jack offered optimistically.

Elizabeth was about to argue more but Jack seemed so excited about getting selected.

"I suppose it would be fun. I haven't seen her in ages", Elizabeth acknowledged. "I could ask her to bring me some new clothes from the boutiques. I haven't been shopping in forever."

Elizabeth got up from the chair and walked into the bedroom with Jack following behind her. She opened the small closet and started pulling out skirts, blouses, dresses.

"Of course, she doesn't know my size anymore. Since the baby," Elizabeth remarked as she held up a skirt and then threw it on the bed with some others.

"I'm sure the fashions are changing. I read an article that said corsets may be going out of fashion. Can you imagine? If that's true, it will take ages for new styles to get to this small backward town. I wish I had a good excuse to never have to put my corset back on."

"Jack, are you even listening to me?" Elizabeth asked as she carried two blouses with her to the mirror. Standing in front of the reflective glass, she held one, then the other, up to her body.

 _I've lost a lot of baby-weight already. Thank goodness that Jack's cooking's no better than mine. But even when I can fit in these outfits, they're . . . boring! Old. I wore them so often before I got pregnant. It's been ages since I've been to a pretty French boutique,_ she thought with a slight frown.

Elizabeth tossed the blouses on the bed and picked up a dress. She frowned again as she saw herself in the mirror. Turning away, she picked up another blouse and examined it.

"What do you think? Time for a new wardrobe?" she asked.

"Jack?"

Elizabeth looked over at Jack when he didn't respond.

Her heart quickened when she saw him standing across the room.

Staring at her.

Their eyes locked and she couldn't look away. Without meaning to, she bit her lower lip nervously.

Slowly, without a word, Jack moved towards her.

She had been his wife for almost two years and yet the nervousness was back.

The hesitation.

She thought about her body. The stitches after childbirth. The doctor's instruction to wait.

And they had waited. Between the tired nights. His trips away. The Scarlet Fever. They had waited.

Now Jack looked at her in a way that she hadn't seen in months. Not since the last month of pregnancy and then the nine weeks after.

When he touched her with his hands, she knew that this time they wouldn't stop.

This time they wouldn't worry that it was too soon.

This time they wouldn't pull back.

The blouse in her hands fell to the floor.

She moved in his arms like silk. Gliding over his skin. When she took his hand and moved it lower, his heart quickened.

His mouth kissed her passionately. As if he couldn't get enough of her.

Worried he was moving too quickly, he slowed himself. Resisting the urge to move faster. Asking if she was sure.

When she encouraged him to continue, his fingers remembered exactly where to touch. How to make his strokes the perfect pressure. The perfect rhythm.

How to fit his body to hers.

* * *

The next week brought warmer weather and more work for Elizabeth.

After more than two months of indulging Elizabeth, the town people were eager for her to get back to work full-time. Although they totally understood that pregnancy and childbirth were tiring, and that Scarlet Fever was a serious illness, they had gotten together at a school board meeting and decided that enough was enough. It was time for longer school days.

"They're just sick of having their children home all afternoon", Elizabeth declared to Jack in a huff.

"That's because their children aren't as wonderful as our little boy," Jack responded quietly so as to not awaken his son as he carefully set down the sleeping infant in his bassinet.

"Let's get to bed. You're got a long day tomorrow."

* * *

"Elizabeth where's the baby?" Jack asked when she walked in the jailhouse the next day at the end of her morning shift at school.

Elizabeth detected the slight concern in his voice.

Despite the fact that it had been several weeks since Elizabeth had temporarily lost track of the baby when she overslept, Jack still became nervous when their little boy wasn't with one of them.

"He is just fine. Stop worrying", she said with a smile.

"I'm not worried. I'm just wondering where he is. You do know where he is, don't you?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Yes I know where he is! I'm with that boy practically 24 hours a day. And right now is no exception. He happens to be with me visiting his Daddy's office", she said with a grin as she turned around.

Jack chuckled when he saw his son attached to Elizabeth's back.

"It's a papoose! A cradle carrier! Michael made it for me. I can keep my hands free when I do chores and walk around, and Little Jack gets to see everything!" she explained happily over her shoulder.

"He's actually not seeing anything right now. He's sound asleep", Jack informed her with raised eyebrows and a wry smile.

"Well maybe he is now. But he wasn't earlier! Everyone in town was admiring him. The students loved it. The Native Americans use them all the time! I'm going to use it every day. Not only does it keep my hands free but I don't have to struggle to get his carriage through the snow. It's perfect!"

"Perfect?" Jack asked. His eyebrows raised again as he smirked. "How do you sit down? Or get him in or out? Or wipe his nose? Or talk to him?"

Elizabeth frowned.

"Okay. So it's not perfect", she admitted.

"I actually would like to sit down. Do you mind getting him out?" she asked as she nodded her head towards the baby on her back.

"I've been on my feet for hours. Lucy put him in for me before school but I can't figure out how to get him out by myself and I didn't want the students to do it. I have no idea how to sit with it on my back. And my shoulders are starting to get sore. He's actually getting heavy." _Gosh, how do those Indian women do this?_

Jack laughed as he gently took his son from the carrier and placed the boy against his own chest while Elizabeth clumsily extricated herself from the papoose carrier.

"I'll be home in a few hours. How about we have an early dinner and then spend a nice relaxing night in front of a warm stove. I'll give you a shoulder massage", he offered.

* * *

"Hi sweetie, dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Mail's on the front counter. You got an official looking letter", Elizabeth called out when she heard the jingle of the bell over the front door a few hours later and Jack yelled out that he was home.

Elizabeth was scooping some butter into the pot of freshly mashed potatoes when Jack followed the sound of her voice and walked into the kitchen.

"What was in the mail", she asked as she gave him a quick glance and returned the butter dish to the icebox.

"I've been cut," Jack said with a frown as he looked at the letter in his hand. "They decided to only take twenty students instead of forty. Budget constraints."

"I've been cut from the course," he said again in a stunned voice.

"You don't have to go?! That's fantastic!" Elizabeth couldn't hide her pleasure that Jack wouldn't be leaving.

"No. It's _not_ fantastic", Jack responded tersely. "I need the course for promotion and choice assignments. This was important to me."

"You'll go the next time", Elizabeth said casually as she stirred the pot on the stove.

"I may not. I was lucky to get selected this time. I was really looking forward to it."

"Why did they cut _you_?" Elizabeth asked meekly, suddenly feeling guilty that she had been happy to hear the news.

"I'm one of the youngest. I've been out of the academy less time than some of the others. And I don't know. . . , maybe they also don't think I'm good enough to retain."

"Don't be silly, Jack. Of course, you're good enough. It was just budget cuts. And like you said, you're still young. You'll go the next time."

"Elizabeth, you don't get it," Jack said bitterly. "If they've decided that I don't need the training, then they've decided I'm not a top choice for promotions. It also means that I'm available to be rotated on TDY."

"Rotated? What do you mean rotated on TDY?" she asked.

Suddenly Elizabeth felt nervous.

"They've got some four-month assignments coming up to remote locations. TDY. Temporary Duty. I was exempt from consideration because of the advanced training course. But now, my name goes back in the pool of potential selectees for TDY. And it's an unaccompanied tour. Instead of a three week course, I'd be gone for four months of duty. You and little Jack couldn't come with me."

"Four months?! Four months without you?!"

* * *

Elizabeth lay quietly in bed. There was nothing left to say. In fact, Jack hadn't said much since dinner.

Their plans for an early dinner, a nice relaxing night in front of a warm stove, and a shoulder massage had turned into an early dinner, a tense night, and a cold shoulder.

Elizabeth knew Jack wasn't mad at her. But he was disappointed.

Disappointed that he had been cut from the course.

Disappointed that Elizabeth's initial reaction to the news was joy.

Disappointed that he may have to leave his wife and son for four months.

 _What if he has to go away for four months? What the heck will I do for four months without him?!_

 **Up next: Chapter 6**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Necessary Vessel

**Chapter 6 – The Necessary Vessel**

Elizabeth lay in bed but she couldn't fall asleep.

Although Jack, lying next to her, didn't say a word, she knew that he was awake. It was too quiet. If he had been asleep, she would have heard the steady low rhythm of his breathing.

"Jack, I am so sorry."

"For what?"

"For not wanting you to go in the first place. It was only for three weeks. I was selfish. I wanted to keep you here with me and the baby and I wasn't considering that being a Mountie makes you really happy."

"Being with you and the baby makes me really happy."

"I know. But if you had to go away for three weeks, we would have been okay. I shouldn't have complained. I'm sorry."

'It's okay, sweetie. Let's just see what happens. Maybe I won't get selected for TDY."

Elizabeth moved her cold feet under the flat sheet and blanket. Squishing her toes under Jack's warm legs.

Most nights, Jack would laugh and complain that Elizabeth's feet were freezing, and that he couldn't possibly sleep with the chill. Then he would smile in the darkness and always let her keep them nestled under his legs anyway. Warming them like a little heater just made perfectly for her.

But tonight, when Elizabeth's cold toes burrowed under his legs, Jack didn't smile.

Instead, he wondered how many nights they would lay apart in the future. Her feet only warmed by an extra pair of socks instead of his body.

How many nights would he fall asleep without her chilly feet warming his heart.

* * *

"What am I going to do if he has to go away for four months?" Elizabeth asked worriedly two days later as she sat at Lucy's kitchen table and folded cloth diapers while Lucy prepared dinner.

Elizabeth put another freshly laundered diaper on the stack and glanced at their babies on blankets on the floor.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him we'd be fine. He's so upset about getting cut from the course. I wasn't about to tell him how worried I am."

"It won't be so bad. It's only four months if he has to go. Lots of families are separated at some point. Think of settlers who leave their families behind until they get . . . settled."

"We're not settlers", Elizabeth said with a look of disapproval, causing Lucy to keep talking.

"Lots of families have to live apart for a while. Look at Penelope and Odysseus. She waited years and years for him to come home."

Elizabeth stopped folding the diapers and looked at Lucy in surprise. "Penelope and Odysseus?"

"From the Odyssey. It's a Greek epic poem. Penelope waited 20 years for her husband to come home from war and travels."

"I know who they are! But I don't want to wait 20 years for Jack to come home!"

Lucy chuckled. "Now aren't you glad it will only be four months if he has to go? I bet four months seems pretty short now compared to 20 years."

Elizabeth frowned in disgust at Lucy _. Twenty years! For goodness sakes!_

 _Although, four months does seem pretty short now that I think about it that way_ , Elizabeth realized as she picked up another diaper.

 _And how the heck does Lucy know about the Odyssey? Chickens and eggs I understand her knowing, but Greek classics?!_

* * *

Three days later, Elizabeth stood in the doorway of her kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel and watching Jack by the front room window. His arms were outstretched as he held his son above his head, smiling and asking questions which the boy was far too young to answer with anything other than the beginning of an infant's giggle.

They looked so happy together.

But then, Jack drew the little boy to his chest, holding him securely. He wistfully kissed the top of his son's head in a moment that nearly broke Elizabeth's heart. She knew he was wondering if he would shortly get a new assignment. One that would take him away from his son for four months.

Ever since Jack had received word that he was no longer scheduled for the advanced training course, he had been preoccupied. He stopped by the post office more than usual. His mind wandered while he polished his boots. Last night, as they sat on the couch reading, Elizabeth noticed Jack hadn't turned a page in over five minutes.

And Jack had started to complain over the last few days. About living in a mercantile instead of a real house. About Elizabeth having to work. About the uncertainty of a job with the Force. About how his own father never got to meet Jack Thatcher Thornton.

"Breakfast time, boys", Elizabeth called out with forced cheerfulness before she turned back to the kitchen and took the food from the stove.

* * *

"I'm thinking about quitting", Jack said. He avoided looking at Elizabeth as he reached for a piece of toast from the plate in the center of the table.

"Jack, no!" Elizabeth said in dismay. She set down her fork with the scrambled eggs still on the tines and looked across the table at her husband.

"You haven't gotten any orders to a new assignment. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I can't make you do it alone for four months. I love you and I'd be too worried about you if I had to go. I'd miss you two. And even if I don't have to go this time around, they'll be other times. I can't guarantee that I'll never get sent away."

"You can't quit. You love being a Mountie."

"I _loved_ being a Mountie. Now I love being your husband and our son's father."

"Jack-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore now. I've made up my mind."

"You do not unilaterally make decisions for us", Elizabeeth told him calmly. Only the fact that Jack was so somber kept her from getting angry at him.

"If I get orders to go TDY for four months, I'll quit the force so I don't have to go. I've already fulfilled my commitment. I'll find something else to do. I'm going to write a letter to your father. Ask him for a job."

"You'd hate working for my father. You said before that you can't see yourself working in an office with a desk job," Elizabeth argued.

"It would be safe steady work."

"It would be dreadfully boring and you'd hate it. And I'd hate it for you."

"I could do private security. Maybe the Pinkertons. Or I could work for a police force", Jack offered _._

"I don't want you doing that either! It's more dangerous than being a Mountie. Working with hardened criminals. And you love working in nature. Riding through the countryside. You help people. Not just arrest criminals."

"So now, all of a sudden you want me to be a Mountie!" Jack responded angrily. "After not wanting me to go to the advanced course. After all your worries when we first courted. Now suddenly, I'm supposed to be a Mountie whether I want to or not."

Jack threw his napkin onto the table, stood up, and walked away from the table.

Elizabeth watched sadly as Jack grabbed his hat and jacket on his way out the door.

Through the window, she saw him put up his collar as he fought against the blistering wind and made his way across the street to the jailhouse.

* * *

"I'm sorry I got angry earlier", Jack apologized as they lay in bed that night in the darkness.

"It's okay. I understand."

"I know you want what's best for us. I was thinking that maybe when I quit, we can go back to Hope Valley. It will be hard though. Getting enough money to afford a home, a good piece of land, and cattle. And I'm not sure if we could make it financially as ranchers. It would take a couple years to start making a profit. I could work at the sawmill, I suppose."

Elizabeth didn't say anything but snuggled up against Jack's body.

 _I know what's best for us. You staying a Mountie is what's best for us,_ Elizabeth thought determinedly. _Why are men so stubborn? After thousands of years, they still don't get that their women know best!_

Jack put his arm around Elizabeth for a few minutes but then drew it back.

Turning on his side to face the other direction, he tried to fall asleep.

* * *

At three o'clock in the morning, Elizabeth awoke to the soft sounds coming from the left side of the bed as the baby, feeling the beginnings of hunger, was sucking on his fist.

Elizabeth lifted the small boy from the bassinet, which was pushed against the bed, and brought him to her breast.

Twenty minutes, she quietly put the sleepy baby with his now-full belly back into his bassinet and lay her own head onto her pillow.

As she closed her eyes, Elizabeth heard the creaking of the mattress. The sound of the sheets moving.

She felt the warmth of Jack's body over her before she felt his touch.

The first kiss was tender. Soft. Loving.

Jack's hands moved slowly on her body.

Gently feeling her curves.

Memorizing each dip with his lips. The crook in her elbow. The bend in her knee.

Elizabeth leaned back her head, enjoying his touch.

With each touch of his mouth on her skin. With each loving stoke of his fingers, Elizabeth's desire began to build.

He caressed her thighs as he slid his hands under her cotton nightdress.

When Jack moved his mouth along the slender arch of her neck, and then found her lips in the darkness, Elizabeth refused to be overcome by the sadness of what ifs. About what the future might hold. They had this moment.

She placed her hands on his face, holding his mouth to hers. Feeling his own passion build as she returned his kiss.

* * *

For the next week, Elizabeth tried to hide her tension as she awaited the arrival of the mail each day. She smiled happily every morning when she awoke in bed with Jack. She made three warm meals a day until Jack jokingly complained that he had gained ten pounds. She trimmed his hair and massaged his shoulders. They made love every night. And they waited.

* * *

Elizabeth crossed the room and was putting aside the spelling test papers she had graded, when she glanced out the window which stretched across the front of the mercantile house.

She bent her head down slightly so she could see under the large painted letters that now said "Thornton Home" and saw Jack hurrying across the street, a piece of paper in his hand.

Jack walked in through the front door. He hesitated a moment when he saw Elizabeth and then smiled broadly.

"They changed the advanced course again! Remember, they cut the number of students because of budget cuts? They've decided to go ahead and keep all of us!"

"But how?" Elizabeth asked in amazement.

"They're changing the course structure to make it shorter. Fewer days. They'll save money in lodging and food. It will mean longer hours. No free weekend. And some of the course will be correspondence to make up for the lack of classroom time. They're sending out a box of materials to read before I go. But I made it! I'm on the list again. I'm going!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Elizabeth sighed with relief and slumped onto the couch. "Thank goodness."

A smiling Jack looked at Elizabeth, who immediately stood back up and went to hug him. "I'm so happy for you! I knew the Mounties realized how good you are."

Jack suddenly pulled back. His grin faltering. "Are you going to be okay? It's for two weeks."

 _Two weeks. Not twenty years! Not four months! Just two little weeks! And, he's not quitting. He's not quitting what he loves,_ Elizabeth thought.

"I'll be fine. We'll be fine. It's just two weeks. We'll barely even know you're gone. And Julie can come visit like you said."

Jack looked curiously at Elizabeth. "You'll barely even know I'm gone?"

"Compared to what Penelope had to endure, it's just a blink of the eye!"

"Who the heck is Penelope?"

* * *

"We were talking about me quitting the Force. This course doesn't necessarily change that", Jack said soberly an hour later as he set down his fork and knife on the table and looked across at Elizabeth. "If I stay with the Force, I'll always have nights away. Danger. We still need to consider it. What's best for our family."

" _You_ were talking about quitting the Force. I voted no."

"And I voted yes."

"Which means I win."

"How exactly do you see that?"

"I'm the wife. I gave you a child. That means my vote is worth more than yours."

"I believe I helped a little with that child. So I believe our votes are equal. Which means we have a tie."

"I fail to see how your fifteen minute contribution equals my six hours of labor."

"Those were the best fifteen minutes of your life!"

Elizabeth smiled at Jack's bravado and got up from the table. She walked across the room and picked up a pen from her desk.

"I guess we just have to let the little pumpkin choose", she said with a knowing look.

"Are you serious? We're going to let Thatch choose our future?"

"Who better?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth handed the baby to a grinning Jack and went to wipe the pen ink from breasts.

"It's official. I'm staying a Mountie."

"It would appear so", Elizabeth answered with a chuckle.

* * *

Elizabeth sat in the simple chair at the Madisons' kitchen table which was made of a three-inch slab of oak wood and browsed through the Sears Roebuck catalog in front of her.

The babies were napping on the couch, giving Elizabeth a chance to relax with Lucy after a long day of teaching. Neither infant was old enough to roll over, but Elizabeth and Lucy had pushed chairs up against the couch just in case either boy chose this moment to show some form of advanced physical prowess.

"I wish we had a shower," Elizabeth said longingly as she looked at the inked drawing on one of the pages of the catalog.

"A shower?"

"It sounds fantastic. Listen to this", Elizabeth said as she began reading to Lucy from the catalog. "It's an investment in cleanliness and comfort from which the whole family can draw daily dividends in pleasure and good health. It's the future of indoor bathrooms. The most modern convenience for a happy, healthy, and clean family."

"Stand up and turn around", Lucy instructed as she stopped stirring the batter in the large ceramic mixing bowl.

Elizabeth didn't move other than to look up curiously at her friend and then over her shoulder wondering if something was behind her.

"Stand up and turn around in a circle", Lucy instructed again as she motioned with her finger making a circle. "Around."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.

"Because you made a wish without a vessel."

"A what without a what?"

"You made a wish without a vessel. An instrument. A catalyst."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"People can make wishes on birthday candles, or stars in the sky, or blowing on dandelions. Or using a wishing well or a fountain. But you have to have _something_ to make the wish work correctly. You didn't have anything, and you made a wish, so you need to turn around to take back your wish."

"I don't want to take back my wish. I _do wish_ I had a shower. I want to stand up in a bathroom and let the water fall down on me."

Lucy stopped stirring again and stared at Elizabeth with a look of pity. "Suit yourself. But if you don't take it back, you'll get your wish in an unexpected way."

"What do you mean? In an unexpected way? What's wrong with that? I like surprises. And besides, wishes don't come true just because you ask for something."

"You won't get your wish like you wanted. If you make a wish without a wishing vessel, it gets all messed up along the way to being granted. Who knows what will happen on its journey."

"On its _journey_?"

"From your mouth to . . . well, to it becomes true. Without a vessel, it doesn't have proper instructions."

"That's the silliest thing I've heard."

Lucy poured the batter into the cake pan on the counter.

"It may seem silly, but it's true."

"It is not true."

Lucy shrugged as she put the cake pan into the oven. "You know, for a teacher, there's a lot you don't know about, Elizabeth."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Elizabeth laughed to herself as she walked the short distance home, thinking about Lucy and her silly superstitions. Elizabeth carried her son, bundled up against the cold weather, in her arms, and a small basket of eggs slung over her elbow.

Despite the nasty weather of a winter that refused to give in to Spring without a final bout of chilling precipitation, Elizabeth moved slowly. It had been sleeting on and off all day and the ground was slick.

When she walked in the front door and shook off the wetness, Elizabeth was surprised to see Jack carrying a bucket into the bedroom.

"We got a leak in the ceiling", he said over his shoulder.

* * *

The Spring sun had barely risen in the sky but the baby in the mercantile house didn't care. He kicked out his legs and alternated between sucking on his fist and making cooing sounds as his father carried him to the double bed in the middle of the room.

At three months old, the infant had no idea that his father had spent an hour yesterday attempting to keep the sleet from raining down like a shower onto the bed. Or that the roof was too slippery to allow anyone to climb on it for better repairs.

He didn't know that his mother, who was sleepily rubbing her eyes, had hours of school-work ahead of her.

The infant knew that he liked the feeling of being held by his father. Feeling the rhythm of the man's chest rising and falling as he cuddled him close. He liked his father in a different way than he liked his mother. But he liked them both very much.

"I almost wish I could sleep all morning. But then I'd miss this wonderful moment", Elizabeth said dreamily as she lay in bed next to Jack.

She reached over and ran her finger along the soft skin of her son's back as the child lay with his tiny chest on Jack's own bare muscular chest.

"I know what you mean. This is nice."

Elizabeth gave a little laugh as she glanced at her son, who looked so small and vulnerable with his stretched-out body which was still tiny enough to fit perfectly on Jack's chest.

"Looking at the two of you just now made me think of something that happened ages ago. I had forgotten all about it. It was before we even courted."

"What was it?"

"Nothing really. Abigail and I were playing cards and I said 'I wish I had a pair of Jacks.' And then Abigail laughed and remarked that what I really wanted was one specific Jack, a certain _Mountie Jack_."

"I'm guessing this was before we started courting."

"Yep. She was teasing me about being sweet on you and you barely even paying attention to me."

"I always paid attention to you –"

"This was when we were still just friends. And you were acting all professional. Anyhow, isn't it funny that I now actually have my pair of Jacks. My wish came true. . . Just not the way I expected. I mean I was talking about Jacks from a deck of cards when I said it. . . Although, I really did want you too. And then I got you. And baby Jack."

Jack chuckled. "It certainly took a long time and a convoluted path, but you got your wish. And I'd say that you have yourself the most handsome pair of Jacks ever."

Elizabeth leaned back against her pillow and looked up at the patched hole in the ceiling.

"Have you ever heard an old folk tale about needing a wishing instrument or wishing vessel in order for a wish to work the right way?"

"Of course. Why?"

"I had never heard of it until Lucy told me."

"That's because a rich girl like you didn't have to make wishes. You had everything you ever wanted growing up. Until, of course, you met me."

"Very funny. But seriously, I didn't have a wishing instrument when I made that wish. About the pair of Jacks", Elizabeth said as she sat up in bed and looked at Jack.

"I know it sounds silly, but think about the last few months. I wished I could sleep in and then the baby went missing which actually gave me the first good night's sleep in a month. I made a silly comment that I wished I had more color in my cheeks and I ended up with Scarlet Fever. Then I wished you didn't have to go away and there was that whole fiasco with your orders. And you don't have to go away for three weeks. Just two. When I wished for a shower, we got a hole in the roof."

"Sweetie, let's be sensible. Wishes don't magically come true. All that stuff is just coincidence. That bit about needing a wishing vessel is just a silly folktale."

"Of course it is. It's just –"

"You can't possibly believe that stuff. This reminds me of when you were pregnant and you believed we had a ghost protecting us. Then you got me believing it too. "

Elizabeth frowned. "Yeah, well, I'm not so sure I don't believe in Bunny."

"Yeah, . . . okay . . . me too. But I'd never admit that to anyone except you. But Elizabeth, this wish thing is just a legend."

"But all my wishes came true! . . . . It's just like Lucy said. They all came true in an unexpected way. They got messed up along the journey."

"Journey?"

"That's what Lucy called it."

Jack gently stroked his son's back, drawing light circles on the baby's skin.

"So what was the last wish you made? Have you made one that hasn't come true yet? Let's see what happens to it."

"I don't remember. Maybe I didn't have any more. But really, I should be more careful with my use of the English language and my choice of words. I'm always telling my students to be precise. I guess I should follow my own advice."

Jack laughed. "Okay. Are you sure there were no more wishes?"

Elizabeth got out of bed and slipped on robe. As much as she liked lying in bed, it was time to start the day, beginning with making breakfast.

"Let me think."

Elizabeth opened the door to the small closet and took out an ivory blouse and a pale blue skirt. Throwing them across her arm she moved to the dresser and pulled open the drawer containing her socks and undergarments.

"Oh yeah, I wished that I had a great excuse to not go back to wearing my corset. I like wearing looser clothes. Remember when we were talking about the latest fashion of no corsets and how long it would take to get to this tiny town."

"Well that wish seems innocent enough."

"I didn't have a vessel. An instrument. A catalyst to help it on its journey."

"It's a pretty simple wish. I can't imagine any surprises coming out of it."

When Little Jack Thatcher Thornton made a cooing sound, Elizabeth initially smiled at the sound coming from the small boy, but suddenly she looked stricken.

Jack noticed Elizabeth's look and glanced at the baby on his chest. "He's fine. He's just . . . ouch . . . he's just pulling on my chest hairs."

"No. Oh no. No. Not this soon. He's only three months old!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"My wish! Remember what we did right after my wish?!" Elizabeth asked frantically.

"I totally remember. I helped you out of your clothing. And I enjoyed it very much." Jack smiled as the images of that night of passion came to mind.

'But Jack!"

"So? What's the problem?"

"We had sex!"

"And that made me very happy", he chuckled. "I still don't see the problem"

"My wish may still come true! It may be coming true right now!"

"I don't understand", Jack said in total confusion.

"What could happen when we have sex?!"

"We could have it again?" Jack offered.

"Which we actually have done. Several times, actually," he added with a boyish grin.

"No, silly! I wished that I had a reason not to go back to wearing tight fitting clothes! We made love! I might be . . . I might be. . .Oh my, I might be-"

Elizabeth slumped down onto the bed, dropping the clothes to the floor. "I love you and I love being a mother. But this soon, again?"

"Might be what? What are you talking about?" a puzzled Jack asked.

Elizabeth anxiously motioned towards the small baby on Jack's chest.

"Dear lord! Not again already?!" Jack asked as realization washed over him.

 **The End of Vignette 11**

 **Dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed it! Next up is Vignette 12. Also, I'm still writing my Reversal Story under the name woolenslipper. It's fun and happy! And for a really different twist on things, check out "A Devious Plan: An Innocent Woman".**


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